Love from Namibia

Just like the rest of the world, Namibians were deeply shocked to hear the news of the King of Pop passing away.

The day that Michael Jackson died, one of Namibia's most popular artist, The Dogg, announced to his 5000+ Facebook profile friends that " Michael Jackson died and no body was on his side, as they say they only miss u wen u gone but not wen u are alive...wat will u write now? wat will u write about him.... u will be missed .......u are the reason of his death.......u know who u are! Now all my shows are dedicated to MJ". The next day after calming down a bit, the straightforward artist who's known for speaking his mind writes "We have famous people, stars and super stars but no one will reach Michael Jackson's level. Rest in peace MJ and let the fools still talk bad about u,.... thats wat they do best....". Elvis Mboya, one of Namibia's most controversial and sought after entertainment reporters couldn't agree more with The Dogg. Mr. Mboya mourned the death of the King of Pop by lashing out at everybody who did wrong by the King, "How I hate these hypocritical tears! Jeees, Why do we have to wait for someone to die to become a hero. Press vilified him, comedians pooed on him, family abandoned him - The King of pop, with millions of fans across the globe died a lonely man with his only friend: prescription drugs. He was bankrupt with a trail of pending courts cases. Did anyone open their mouths? Woe unto you bloody hypocrites. Fare thee well MJ". The fed up reporter adds "That also applies to our everday lives. Let people around us who deserve our love, affection and praise know the value they add in our lives. Because tomorrow may never come."Sirka Amaambo, the former face of the Sin Paper's psssh*t column and probably the best thing that ever happened to that paper, cried and sang out loud, hoping Michael Jackson would hear and sing along with her "You will always have my heart MJ.There comes a time, When we heed a certain call , When the world must come together as one ,There are people dying And it's time to lend a hand to life ,The greatest gift of all..........There's A Place In, Your Heart, And I Know That It Is Love, and this place could Much, Brighter Than Tomorrow, And If You Really Try, You'll Find There's No Need To Cry, In This Place You'll Feel, That There's No Hurt Or Sorrow."Gazza (the groet man), another one of Namibia's popular artist and an Ambassador of some sort, mourned quietly without causing a scene on his facebook profile by saying "What a shock. We have lost a very special star, who has entertained us for many years. Thank you for all your songs and contribution to life. May Your Soul Rest In Peace, MICHAEL JACKSON".THE death of the king of pop, Michael Jackson, reminds the world of the struggles and pressures pop idols face to meet public expectations.Namibian top artists, The Dogg and Gazza, said although Michael will go down the annals of history as the greatest entertainer to have ever lived, his lifestyle reflected pressure celebrities go through to meet public expectations.Gazza said as an idol, there are a lot of pressures that forces one to make sacrifices and the public should understand that celebrities are human too.“We also make mistakes. We are human beings as well. Sometimes we are forced to kick out some habits to meet public demand. There are some things that you are forced to do behind closed doors. It means you sacrifice your freedom. No one is perfect. You can’t please everybody”.The Dogg agreed: “People don’t look at us as normal human beings. They don’t expect you to act the same way they do“.He said Michael became famous at a tender age and never had a chance to enjoy his childhood.

During his visit to Namibia in May 1998 accompanied by Joe Barden of Barden International, Michael met some top ranking politicians and business people including the Founding Father, President Sam Nujoma; former Prime Minister, Hage Geingob; Theo-Ben Gurirab, business tycoons George Namundjebo, Haddis Tilahun, Martha Namundjebo, and Hilda Basson-Namundjebo among others.Hilda, an iconic figure in the entertainment industry whose family hosted Michael, spoke fondly of him. “I feel privileged to have met MJ personally twice in my life. We exchanged a few words, but it was difficult to sustain a conversation with him as he was very quiet and I of course was fairly overwhelmed. I hope at this time of loss that we learn to value life and human beings. I am amazed at people’s hypocrisy and how quickly someone is forgotten or their legacy is demonised within hours. As young people, we live for the praise of others, but I pray that people learn that if Michael Jackson’s reputation can be tarnished and attacked so quickly, why do we put so much trust into other people’s opinions? No doubt, the same will happen to us.... the lesson for me is to live fully and to please God only”.George Namundjebo said Michael’s charity work and business interest in Namibia can’t go unmentioned.“He was the one behind the 800 Chevrolet vehicles bought by the government. He contributed to hospitals in the north. He was a good friend and he deserves to be the undisputed King of Pop”.And of course Namibians, 90% of whom practice Christianity couldn't make the mistake of sending Michael Jackson off without a prophetic word from the Bible. Namibia's talented gospel artist, Levite (Lukas Haufiku) shared that "Michael Jackson died the 25th , Aaliyah died the 25th, Static Major died the 25th, Left Eye the 25th. James Brown died on 12/25, which happens to be the same day Jesus was BORN. If they live for Christ, they'll reign with him. "For me to live Is Christ & to die Is gain" Phil 1:21".Indeed, there's no greater love. Thanks for the Word, Minister Levite. And may the church say, Amen!

Michael, from all of us, you will surely be missed! We appreciate you even more, for taking time to come and visit our beautiful country Namibia. May your soul rest in peace!

Picture: Michael Jackson visiting Namibia in 1998. In the picture Michael Jackson is shaking hands with the then President of Namibia; now Founding President of Namibia Dr. Sam Nujoma and Chief of Protocol, at the time, Patrick Nandago in the background (now Namibia's Ambassador to the USA).

May 17, 1998 - Michael Jackson kisses 15 month-old Melvi Nujoma, granddaughter of Namibian President Sam Nujoma who is held by her father Utoni Nujoma. Michael is in Namibia to attend a summit held by the World Economic Forum and to look at investment possibilities in the country. The arrival of the pop star caused chaos in Windhoek.